Canon 1D mark IV and the Nikon D3s

Last night Nikon announced the Nikon D3s, a camera that had been rumored for a while with more solid details emerging last week. The rumors were pretty much correct with the amazing new high ISO/low noise sensor (up to 102400!) clocking in at 12.1mp, 720/24p D-Movie mode, and some other updates and improvements over the original D3 that arrived back in August 2007. One rumor/wish that was missed, and this really surprised me, was the lack of a 1080p video mode, ala Canon 5D mkII, and 7D. With the Canon 1Ds mark IV being announced next week that will no doubt feature a HD video mode, Nikon’s announcement got me wondering why 1080p is not present.

Video in DSLR’s is still in it’s infancy in reality. Granted, Canon really blew the doors wide open with the 5D mkII, but mistakes were made, such as leaving off manual control and 24/25p. We’ll never know the real reason, but maybe Canon weren’t expecting it to be in such demand. Maybe they ran out of time? It’s tough to say, but I imagine they were surprised to see how well adopted it was. I also believe they can partially thank Vincent LaForet and the buzz he created. It’s interesting to think back that Nikon were the first camera manufacturer to place a HD movie mode in a DSLR, yet the real hype came from the Canon camera that did the same, just a little better. It’s been a year since Video DSLR’s have entered the hands of professionals and hobbyists and the results have been staggering. That’s why it surprises me that the Nikon D3s does not have the same features to match Canon’s line up. Why is this? This is my random musing on the matter.

Whose pushing it

Canon are doing a fine job of promoting and pushing the use of HD video in their DSLR’s. From the moment “Reverie” (which in all honesty, isn’t a great film, but a great example of what could be achieved) went viral, Canon knew they had perfectly hit the right market. And most of them are already shooting with high end DSLR’s. This camera opened up opportunities for Journalists out in the field, such as Danfung Dennis who used his 5D mkII to cover the Afghanistan war that has been broadcasting on PBS, Documentary film makers such as Dan Chung, Indie film makers like myself, wildlife photographers and even Wedding photographers who have added this option to their services. In reality, the possibilities are endless. For example, right now I am shooting a short video for a bar using a glidecam rig with my 5D mkII that will be transformed into a flash intro for their website. There are tons of examples of still photographers embracing this technology for their own work or their own creativity and has really proven, in my opinion, that video in DSLR’s is really worth the investment.

Should everyone be pushing it?

The real kicker here is that Canon in all fairness has a lot of money to spend on research and development. Their product spectrum as a brand is much bigger than Nikon and ultimately, in my opinion, more focused than Sony. Canon have developed fantastic video cameras for years, giving an advantage over Nikon. But, putting that in the corner for a moment, should other manufacturers be as focused on bringing these opportunities to their users? Sony themselves said:

“The video implementation of SLRs today do not deliver the video experience people expect from Sony…. we believe that mainstream SLR customers…may not have a camera with the existing technology fill their expectations…delivering an excellent user experience…is an obligation that we have that we don’t necessarily see being taken quite so seriously when we see video implementations that don’t follow focus…or exposure…we understand that has a value…we can imagine that HD video without focus and exposure…can be tough for people to get a good experience out of…but it has to be better…not just possible, but better.”

CNET

These are very valid points. Using a DSLR for purely video is tough. It is in no way shape or form designed to be a video camera! Money has to be invested into making it more like a video camera, such as using Zacuto rigs or  RedRock Mirco rigs (created a nice niche for those guys though). I have also heard that Sony have also said that they don’t see a market for professional use for DSLR’s ( I can’t find the link unfortunately), but are they missing out on the users than Canon have excited with the 5D mkII? The photojournalists, indie film makers, etc who make amazing work out of these camera that have ultimately not been designed for such use. Look at this great list of videos at planet5d for example.

Do Nikon feel the same way then? They are unable to deliver a ‘proper’ video recording experience, so why push it? Why invest their time? Even Moose Petterson speaks along these lines:

To me, it makes no sense and diverts engineers from giving us really cool things that still photographers could really run with…

720/24p looks really great especially from the D300s, but this can be limited for it’s “professional” use. Sure this is perfect for the web, but it is not future proof in my opinion. For example Indie film makers want 1080p (or more if they have the budget for a RED) and full manual control. Everyone saw the up-roar when the 5D mkII didn’t have manual control. Surely this was a big hint to what the user wants? Has the Nikon brand and user base not had that “Reverie” moment that really sold them on this technology? I don’t really think that’s true, as I have read on many forums today that people were hoping for that 1080p on a FX sensor based on what they have used with the  D300s or the D90. Of course people argue back that it’s unnecessary and if you want to shoot video, buy a dedicated rig. But why should we? Consumers have reacted very positively to this convergence. And you just cannot buy the same quality video camera for the price of a 7D or a full framed 5DmkII. Especially with the range of lenses.

I am just very surprised that they did not spend time on upping the resolution to 1080p. The thing is, they have some beautiful examples on the Nikon D3s site that shows how amazing the footage caught on these cameras are – What’s stopping them going for 1080p.

Maybe it is technology based? Maybe 1080p causes the sensor to overheat to quickly, maybe the “jello effect” gets worse at a higher resolution because the processor can’t keep up, or maybe they haven’t had time to change the application-specific integrated circuit’s that they have used for their video, which seems limited to 720p.

The Future?

I don’t see Nikon users jumping ship however – why should they, they have an amazing camera range. But I have seen some Nikon users purchase a 5D mkII (such as Zack Arias) and some even mount their Nikon lenses on them, like the early adopters who wanted manual control over their exposures. It just seems strange that one of their Flagship model’s, that doesn’t get updated often, does not carry this option that so many artists have raved about.

Have Nikon been rushed? The Canon 1D mark IV is set to be announced next week and of course it will feature a video mode that will no doubt trump the 7D’s resolution options as well as keep all the same manual controls we get on the 7d and the 5D mkII. Canon’s flagship model, that we assume is set to ship before the Winter Olympics, will probably tell us a little more of where Canon is heading with their market and I know Nikon will be watching. Should Nikon have waited?

So what do you all think? Is it something as hobbyist you want in your DSLR? Something as Pro’s who want to add to their services? Is it a fad that will fade away?